NASA has confirmed that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will be returning to Earth on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, after a long mission on the International Space Station (ISS). Their planned splashdown off the coast of Florida is expected at around 5:57 p.m. Eastern Time (3:27 a.m. IST, March 19).

Williams and Wilmore's mission, which was originally supposed to be for a short time, was extended because of technical difficulties with their return ship, Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The Starliner had propulsion problems, making it unsuitable for the trip back to Earth. Therefore, the astronauts have been on the ISS since June 2024, with the extended duration of more than nine months.

To enable their return, the Crew-10 mission of SpaceX docked safely with the ISS on Sunday, March 16, 2025, bringing a new crew and getting ready to take Williams and Wilmore back home. The Crew-10 team consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. They were welcomed with open arms, with a good laugh when Crew-9 commander Nick Hague wore an alien mask to welcome the visitors.

NASA has rescheduled the return to take advantage of good weather and to facilitate a seamless handover between the outgoing and incoming crews. Live coverage of the return trip, including preparations for closing the Dragon spacecraft hatch, will begin at 10:45 p.m. EDT Monday, March 17 (8:15 a.m. IST, March 18).

This mission speaks volumes about the uncertainty and hardship of space travel. Despite the extended stay, Williams and Wilmore have maintained a healthy contribution to the scientific endeavours of the ISS, conducting numerous experiments and maintenance tasks throughout their extended stay.

Their space community, along with the families of the astronauts, are eagerly awaiting their return safely, marking the closing of an unplanned but successful chapter in their careers.